News

Gummy Mess and One Less Predator

1/9/2015

AFA Caption

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A turbocharger failure doomed an MQ-1B remotely
piloted aircraft, which crashed due to severe turbulence as it lost altitude in
the mountains of Afghanistan last spring, Air Combat Command investigators
determined. The RPA lost power as the operator at Creech AFB, Nev., attempted
to increase power to maintain its assigned flight level on a sortie near
Jalalabad on June 25, 2014. According to the abbreviated investigation,
downdrafts in the mountain valley caused the aircraft to lose additional
altitude and slam into terrain. The turbocharger failure was blamed on oil
residue caused by high temperature inhibiting its proper functioning, according
to the inquest. Loss of the RPA and its weapons was pegged at an estimated $4.8
million. No damage was caused to private
or unassociated government property, according to a Jan. 8 release.
(Read the full
AIB report; Caution, large-sized file.)